Israel Parliament to Elect New President on Tuesday

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, will vote to elect a new president on Tuesday to replace Shimon Peres, 90, whose term expires on July 15, Israeli media reported.

Voting will be by secret ballot. Members of parliament's 12 parties are free to vote their conscience.

The apparent front-runner is former Knesset Speaker Reuven "Ruby" Rivlin, a member of the governing Likud Party.

The other candidates are former Knesset member Dalia Itzik, left-leaning former Supreme Court justice Dalia Dorner, Nobel Prize laureate Dan Shechtman, and Knesset member Meir Sheetrit of the dovish Hatnuah Party.

The candidates will be lobbying Knesset members Monday seeking support.